Police, community and calendar briefs for April 4, 2013

Published: Thursday, April 4, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 7:20 p.m.

POLICE BEAT

Publix closes due to gas leak

A supermarket was temporarily closed Wednesday as county fire officials and gas company employees worked to determine the cause of a gas leak.

Jessica Greene, spokeswoman for Marion County Fire Rescue, said her agency was dispatched to Publix, 7578 SE Maricamp Road, shortly before noon. A customer told a manager about smelling gas in the building, and the manager called 911 and evacuated.

The leak was tracked to the bakery area and workers from TECO gas company made repairs.

Community center reports thefts

A former community center employee accused of stealing money and items from the venue was arrested Tuesday and charged with organized fraud.

According to Miller’s report, money taken from the Fort McCoy Community Center at 1405 E. County Road 316 was used by Huffman to purchase alcohol and “take out others at the community center.”

Huffman was employed there as a bartender.

An official at the center told the deputy that money from the juke box, cash from a bank bag and several items, such as a propane cylinder, were missing.

Huffman admitted selling the center’s popcorn maker to a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Astor for $25.

Deputies charge man with robbery

Members of the Sheriff’s Office Tactical Investigations Unit arrested a 23-year-old man Tuesday and charged him with two counts of robbery with a weapon.

Early Tuesday, deputies received a call about a man wrapping a chain around the neck of another man and holding him on the ground while a second man hit the victim in the head with a metal pipe while a third man searched his pockets.

The incident was reported at 1:45 a.m. The injured man was treated at the scene by paramedics.

The specialized unit got a tip that Michael Brett “Mike” McGirth Jr. was one of the men involved in the incident and they also had already identified him as a suspect. He was interviewed at the Sheriff’s Office and arrested.

The investigation is continuing, officials said.

Anyone with information about the other two suspects can call the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.

Police say meth found at residence

A sheriff’s deputy, with assistance from an official with the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, recovered 80.5 grams of methamphetamine from an Ocklawaha residence Tuesday.

The homeowner told Deputy Billy Burleson that when she arrived at her home in the 18000 block of Southeast 96th Place, she found a front window shattered. Inside, she found a plastic bottle with a hose coming from the lid and a hard material on the bottom, and four Ziploc bags containing a clear liquid, and called 911.

The deputy called the drug unit and an agent arrived and was given permission to search the home. The search revealed several other bottles officials said were used to cook meth. The investigation is ongoing, officials said Wednesday.

3 criminal cases get court dates

Court dates have been set in three significant criminal cases in Ocala.

Jamal “Diddy” Jefferson will have a hearing in July. His lawyer asked for more time to gather information. Jefferson, 39, was indicted in November in connection with the shooting death of Jeffery Todd Aaron, 41, of Ocala, whose body was found in Orlando in June. Authorities say the shooting occurred during a cocaine deal.

Ryan Blake McCullough, 22, will have a hearing in August. He is accused of being the so-called “Ninja robber” — a man who dressed in all black and robbed five local businesses between March 25 and May 15 last year.

In the meantime, the murder case against Ashley Brooke LeVelle will be back in court in August, with a possible trial date in September. LeVelle, 22, is charged with first-degree murder in the December 2011 shooting death of LaVar Watson, an Iraq War veteran. The two had met on an online dating site and had scheduled a date that night, officials said.

Stevin Roopnarine, 23, is also charged with first-degree murder in that case. Watson was robbed after the shooting, officials say. Authorities allege Roopnarine fired three shots at Watson, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, hitting him in the back of the head and shoulder. He has denied the accusation, saying LeVelle fired the shots and planned the entire incident. His trial is slated for mid-December.

COMMUNITY

Campfires banned for now in Forest

The Forest Service has issued a temporary ban on campfires in the Ocala National Forest because of wildfire concerns during drought conditions.

Stove fires are allowed in devices commercially designed for cooking, such as propane cook stoves and above-the-ground pedestal grills, according a USDA Forest Service news release.

Fires placed directly on the ground, even for cooking purposes, are considered campfires and are prohibited.

Extreme drought conditions “mean fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely,” the news release states. Violations are punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both.

The ban is in effect until further notice.

Ocala, CF to honor NJCAA champions

Ocala and the College of Central Florida will celebrate CF’s NJCAA national champion men’s basketball team with an event on the downtown square April 10. It starts at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public.

The event will include a ceremony honoring the team and coaches, comments by CF and community leaders, and performances by the Patriot Dancers.

Changes to gas tax allocations mulled

The five cities in Marion County will meet today to discuss the way gas taxes are divided up and how Marion County has proposed the possibility of cutting the amount each city receives.

At previous meetings, the cities have expressed concern that any cuts could result in reductions in staff and/or services offered.

The Ocala City Council, at its meeting Tuesday night, discussed the possibility the cities may be forced to raise taxes to make up for lost revenues should the county reduce the allocations, which have remained at the same percentage rates for 30 years.

The meeting, which involves officials from Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon, McIntosh and Reddick, begins at 1 p.m. at the Ocala-Marion County Chamber Economic Partnership, 319 SE Third St., Ocala.

Dog training classes offered

The Professional Dog Training School will hold seven-week training courses beginning April 13 at 4260 SE 53rd Ave., Ocala, with novice and sub-novice categories.

The cost is $80 per course. For more information, call 732-8655 or email pdtdogs@aol.com.

America’s Boating Course offered

The Harris Chain Sail and Power Squadron is offering the America’s Boating Course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 13 at the Captiva Recreation Center, 3095 Charlotte Court, The Villages.

The cost is $55 for the first family member and $25 for each additional family member. The minimum age is 12.

Attendees who pass the final exam will receive the FWC Boating Safety Education ID card, which is required for all boaters born after 1988.

For more information, call 615-2050 or visit www.harrischain.org.

Chef to cook at women’s luncheon

The Ocala Christian Women’s Connection will host a “Dishin’ Out Spring Luncheon” from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 23 at the Ocala Hilton, 3600 SW College Road, Ocala.

Hilton Chef Randall will show how to prepare a special spring dish. The speaker will be Ruth Warnick.

The cost is $18. Reservations are needed by April 19. Childcare is available.

For more information, call 236-1982.

Run to benefit M.O.M.S Park

Memories of Missing Smiles Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to remembering the lives and smiles of children who have died, is hosting a 5K run/walk and kids fun run event beginning at 7:30 a.m. May 12 at Jervey Gantt Park, 2200 SE 36th Ave., Ocala, where the M.O.M.S. Park is located.

Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. The cost is $20 in advance or $25 at the event. There is no charge for children 7 and younger for the fun run. Entrants can register online at www.active.com or by mail to M.O.M.S, P.O. Box 684, Ocala, FL 34478.

For more information, call 690-1851 or 369-6667, or visit www.memoriesofmissingsmiles.org.